Question Regarding Noodlers

[eezee]

I was watching a Q&A on YouTube and there was a question regarding Noodlers ink in an M1000. The answer was in the Pelikan yes, but that if there was a one that has rubber parts or bladders then "no."

Are there caustic qualities about Noodlers inks that I should be aware? I haven't purchased any Nooders, but might get a bottle in the future. Is there something about that brand that is controversial?

 

[Jut]

Let the great debate ensue....

 

[LouieGrandie]

This from the well known page, Glen's Pens on Ink

http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/ink/ink-and-ph-levels.htm

Ink and pH Levels

Acid & Alkaline Levels

What about the acidity of ink? This seems to
be a point of ongoing talk on various discussion sites. Is it really
important? On one hand I am told it is not that much of an issue. The
compatibility of inks and dyes used in the particular inks is more of an
issue.

In 1996 Gregory
Clark had an article published in Pen World giving the pH
levels of a wide variety of inks. A low pH reading indicates the relative
level of acid to a high pH reading that indicates the level of alkaline.
Some brands/colours are listed with two different readings. That is because
Gregory included both the pH levels found through his testing and those
reported by the pen manufactures.

Readings that have been previously reported for the pH levels of inks include:

• 1.7 for OMAS
  Blue-Black, OMAS Royal Blue, Visconti, Lapis Blue;
  
• 2.2 for Montblanc
  Blue-Black, Montblanc Bordeaux, Pelikan Blue-Black, Visconti Turquoise;
  
• 2.6 for Caron d'Ache Imagine in Blue Sky
  
• 2.7 for Pelikan
  4001 Blue, Visconti Permanent Blue-Black, Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, Quink
  Washable Blue, Waterman Purple;
  
• 2.8 for Caran d'Ache Escape in Caribbean Sea
  
• 3.0 for Montblanc
  Emerald Green, Quink Permanent Black, Waterman Blue-Black, Waterman Blue;
  
• 4.0 for Sheaffer
  Brown, Emerald Green, Peacock Blue;
  
• 5.5 for Caran d'Ache Dream in Blue Night
  
• 5.6 for Caran d'Ache Protect in Storm
  
• 6.1 for Caron d'Ache Travel in Grand Canyon
  
• 6.3 for Parker
  Penman Emerald;
  
• 6.5 for OMAS
  Sepia;
  
• 6.6 for Parker
  Penman Ebony;
  
• 6.8 for Herbin
  Green, OMAS Vespucci Red, Parker Penman Mocha, Parker Penman Sapphire;
  
• 7.0 for Waterman
  Havana
  
• 7.2 for OMAS
  Permanent Black;
  
• 7.5 for Parker
  Penman Ruby; Pelikan Brilliant Green;
  
• 7.8 for Visconti
  Black
  
• 7.9 for Rotring
  black, Waterman red, Caran d'Ache Explain in Carbon
  
• 8.2 for Pelikan
  brilliant red, turquoise, violet
  
• 9.0 for Sheaffer
  jet black
  

Noodler's Ink has also promoted their ink, and as a basic foundation of their product, as being a pH neutral ink.

The Noodler's Site includes an extensive write-up with photos about pH levels and the effect of inks with corrosive levels on metal.

Noodler's advances that rather than the danger of
the dye content of ink it is the pH level that pen users should pay
greater attention to in considering their purchase of inks. The dye used
to colour inks is important in setting the intensity in colour and how
it will fade or not fade.

The Noodler's article suggests that inks with a pH level of between 1.5 and 4 tend to be corrosive.

Confused? Well as a reference point,
water has a pH of 7. When buying inks consider a number of
factors. In terms of pH levels do not become paranoid. For example,
Gregory Clark notes in one of his reviews of ink is that a range of 5.4
to 8.1 was reasonable in his view for pen inks. Noodler's ink notes
their inks are "pH neutral" having a range of 6.2 to 7.9.

I'm not a scientist, but my understanding is that
the pH level measures the acidity or alkalinity. Where the pH level is
less than 7, the solution is acidic, where the pH level is greater
than 7 the solution is basic or alkaline. The ranking of 7 is made as
that is what is considered a neutral - as that is the pH of pure water
at 25 °C.

What does all
that really mean? Most modern inks
are safe to use in pens. Pens with piston or vacuum fillers
would be subject
to staining of some inks. This is less of an issue for pens with
converters but ink does seep from the nib, and it won't take long for
some of the semitransparent pen caps to "show" the staining of ink.

Use your inks and enjoy the colour range. If you
are leaving your pen unused for period of time, simply expel the ink and
rinse the pen with water.

 

[Foyle]

I know there are a lot of people who believe that Noodler's will harm pens. I've been using Noodler's in my TWSBI and so has my wife. Neither of us has had any trouble with our pens. I've also used it in my vintage Sheaffer Special with no ill effects.

I bought my TWSBI from local pen shop. I asked the owner about Noodler's. He said apart from the Baystate inks, they are perfectly safe to use in your pen. Baystate can stain your pen. I also called a business that specializes in restoring vintage pens, and he said the same thing. He said Noodler's are good quality inks, and they won't hurt your pen. He said any ink will gum up your pen if you let it dry out.

The long and the short of it seems to be that what really harms pens is poor pen maintenance. Don't let your pens dry out, and flush them regularly to keep them clean.

 

[musicman1951]

From Richard Binder's site:

CAUTION
For many years, I’ve tried not to say anything negative about particular inks, but I am now convinced that there are several problems that can be traced to the use of Private Reserve or Noodler’s inks. Among these problems are flow issues and clogging, mold, staining, and actual destruction of pens.

Along with certain other “boutique” inks, these two brands are more prone to clog than more conventional inks because of the heavy dye load they use to produce their deeply saturated colors. Also, some Private Reserve inks behave just like phthalocyanine- and quinacridone-based watercolor paints, which use pigments for their color and are more likely to produce clogs than saturated dye-based inks.

Noodler’s “bulletproof” inks contain a component that causes the dye in the ink to bond chemically with the paper. Unfortunately, this bonding agent is particulate, not in solution. It settles, and you have to shake the bottle to disperse it when filling a pen. It also settles in the pen, and it can cause clogs. To combat (but not cure) this tendency, Noodler’s adds extra surfactant (wetting agent), which can cause bleeding and feathering.

Private Reserve inks are known to have had mold issues on multiple occasions, and it is not clear to me that the problem has yet been solved for good.

Various Private Reserve and Noodler’s inks are known for staining pens, and at least some Noodler’s inks are known to destroy pens.

Experience has shown that Noodler’s Eel inks often do not flow properly in pens that work with virtually any other kind of ink. I see no need for an ink with the “lubricating” properties of Eel, and I do not recommend its use. (If pen makers thought this sort of ink was a good idea, they would be selling it and taking the profits to the bank.)

 

[Slivovitz]

I've heard the stories about Baystate Blue, but I'll let people who have actually used it tell them. For myself, the color just doesn't seem appealing, so why bother?

But the worst experiences I've had with any Noodler's ink have been well below the pen destroying level. La Reine Mauve, which is a one of the nicest looking purple inks I've seen has clogged most of the pens that I tried it in, and has exacerbated any tendency toward nib creep (although Richard Binder's reference pages have an article claiming that the root cause of nib creep is tiny imperfections in the nib). Noodler's Fox is the red that I want maybe a couple of times a month, and it's also a fairly cloggy ink. So I use these two only in a couple of refilled Pilot Varsities. The many vaned feeds on those resist clogging pretty well, and if the pens do get gunked up, it's no big loss.

A number of the less exotic Noodler's colors have done perfectly well for me and I wouldn't really worry about them harming any of my pens. I've just found other brands that I prefer.